Heroic London Gatwick Team Saves Passenger’s Life with Timely CPR and Defibrillator

Thursday, June 20, 2024

A passenger, Eddie Barnes, expressed heartfelt gratitude to a team of dedicated London Gatwick personnel who saved his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the airport.

The incident occurred on October 24th at 4:20 am in the North Terminal security area as Eddie was en route to Spain. Swift action by 12 staff members from security, passenger operations, and the London Gatwick Fire Service proved critical. They immediately administered CPR for over 15 minutes and successfully used a defibrillator to revive him before he was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

All passenger operations staff at London Gatwick receive comprehensive first aid training, including CPR. The airport’s on-site firefighters are trained as advanced immediate emergency care responders, ensuring they can deliver a high standard of medical assistance.

Following his recovery, Eddie recently reunited with the team who saved him, visiting the airport’s airside fire station. There, he received a tour of the facilities and expressed his gratitude in person to those involved.

Passenger Eddie Barnes said: “The cardiac arrest that I suffered must be the most profound experience for myself and those close to me and yet had the team at London Gatwick not successfully applied CPR, I would never have known a thing about it.

“I had absolutely no warning when it happened, I simply dropped dead. I am told that for more than 15 minutes CPR was applied in the course of which I received 16 broken ribs and the paddles were applied five times (and once more in the ambulance).

“The heart surgeon informed me the number of ribs broken bears testimony to how well the CPR was applied. It is hard work applying CPR and I will be eternally grateful to the team for not giving up. Strangely the experience has not left me with any psychological hang-ups. By the time I knew what had happened it was too late to worry and I have every confidence that the team at St Thomas’s who supported me after I left Gatwick have dealt with the problem to prevent a recurrence.”

London Gatwick’s Passenger Operations Support responded to 2,832 first aid calls last year, addressing a variety of emergencies from cardiac arrests to queue management.

Among the first colleagues to respond to the incident that morning were Scott Ronaldson and Przemyslaw Karpicki.

Scott Ronaldson, Passenger Operations, London Gatwick, said: “At the time Przemyslaw and I were close to finishing a night shift and were doing our usual lap to make sure everything was running smooth. It was when we were talking to security we noticed screens being pulled across.

“When we got to Eddie we noticed he wasn’t breathing. I tore his shirt off and commenced CPR with my colleague Przemyslaw until the rest of our team came with a defibrillator. 

“I have had a few instances where CPR is required and every time, I know I can rely on our amazing team to drop everything and come running to support. Thanks to the training we receive from the London Gatwick Fire Service we are well prepared for these circumstances and feel comfortable even in the worst cases.”

Przemyslaw Karpicki, Passenger Operations Support, London Gatwick, said: “Just as our night shift was ending, I was with Scott when we saw a passenger collapse. We didn’t hesitate, we ran straight to him. Security called us to respond, but by then, we were already there, ready to help.

“Scott started CPR immediately since Eddie wasn’t breathing. Moments later two more of our colleagues, joined us with a defibrillator to the scene. Our training from the London Gatwick Fire Service kicked in, and they arrived shortly after to provide the next level of care. I knew I was surrounded by my colleagues from the passenger operations team and could rely on them completely.

“At that moment, during CPR, I wasn’t thinking about my feelings, I was focused entirely on helping Eddie. But when I got home at the end of my shift, the reality hit me. Together with my colleagues, we did something incredible. We gave someone a chance to live, and that feels incredibly special.”

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